Sinkhole forces another business to close in Georgetown

2011-12-08T19:49:36Z2011-12-09T14:00:51Z

GEORGETOWN, SC (WCSC) -

The sinkhole problem is growing in Georgetown and it is causing more
damage than large holes in the ground. Businesses are having to close
because their buildings are unsafe. New holes are forming, but the cause
has yet to be determined.

Landy's Dry Cleaners is one of
several businesses closing up shop because its building is unsafe. Local
business owners say it is upsetting to see businesses disappear.

"I
can't describe it," said business owner Rod Stalvey. "I can't describe.
It's a terrible thing, it really is. I love Georgetown. I wouldn't be
here if I didn't and I certainly want to see this town grow."

Stalvey
owns several businesses in Georgetown. Hhe points his finger at the
drainage project and city council for the cause of the sinkholes.

"The
city council and the mayor's lack of due diligence in this project," he
said. "They essentially showed up with shovels and started digging and
now we're suffering repercussions."

Georgetown Mayor Jack
Scoville says if the cause of the sinkholes is the drainage project, the
blame shouldn't be placed on the city because they only funded the
project.

"The actual agency that picked the engineers and decided
the scope of the project was the Department of Transportation,"
Scoville said. "We feel that they're responsible if indeed the project
was the cause."

Scoville added that over 20 engineers have been
in town for several weeks running tests trying to determine the cause.
He says now all they can do is wait.

"Everybody wishes it hadn't
happened," Scoville said. "Now we're going to work together and figure
out the cause of this and fix it."

So far the sinkholes have affected several businesses, parking lots, the judicial center and the library.

A traffic navigation app used to avoid traffic tie ups Thursday morning directed drivers into neighborhoods, making residents angry. The repair work on the Wando Bridge along with a series of accidents in the Tri-County area made the morning commute miserable for many drivers. The Waze app is designed to tell drivers the fastest route and the best way to avoid heavy traffic. People who live in Dominion Hills in Hanahan say every day they deal with drivers cutting through their stre...More >>

A traffic navigation app used to avoid traffic tie ups Thursday morning directed drivers into neighborhoods, making residents angry. The repair work on the Wando Bridge along with a series of accidents in the Tri-County area made the morning commute miserable for many drivers. The Waze app is designed to tell drivers the fastest route and the best way to avoid heavy traffic. People who live in Dominion Hills in Hanahan say every day they deal with drivers cutting through their stre...More >>